18.12 Physical home security

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In this section (3)

Doors
Windows
Lighting and cameras

The front door of an apartment almost never gives way at the lock: the frame gives way, where the deadbolt strike plate is screwed into a thin strip of wood with short screws. Reinforcing that point is the most effective and cheapest fix.

Figure 18.2. Reinforcement points on an entry door. The long screws reach the wooden stud behind the frame; that is what keeps a kick from tearing out the plate. Recommendations from the Seattle Police Department. — **Figure 18.2.** Reinforcement points on an entry door. The long screws reach the wooden stud behind the frame; that is what keeps a kick from tearing out the plate. Recommendations from the Seattle Police Department.

Doors

Strike plate: replace the short screws with 3–4 in (7.5–10 cm) wood screws that reach the wall stud; better still, a reinforced 4-screw plate. Ask for written permission (section 18.11): it is a small change, but it drills into the frame.
Hinges: at least one 3–4 in screw in each hinge.
Deadbolt: the bolt should go at least 1 in (2.5 cm) into the frame.
Latch guard on the outside, if management allows it.
No-construction bars: an adjustable security bar that braces under the handle and on the floor; a bar or stick in the track of the sliding patio door; an extra pin lock on the sliding door.
Peephole and a chain or door bar: many state or local rules require a peephole and an interior lock on exterior apartment doors (chapter 9).

Windows

Keep the locks engaged at all times; use a stick or bar in the track of sliding windows.
Security film applied to the glass: it holds the fragments together when the glass breaks, which reduces glass injuries in a storm and slows down an intruder. It does not make the glass “bulletproof” or unbreakable. Install it only with permission.
Curtains or blinds closed at night.

Lighting and cameras

Report burned-out bulbs in the hallway and parking lot in writing.
Battery-powered or solar motion-sensor lights in the yard, if the lease allows it.
Camera doorbell or battery-powered indoor camera: they keep recording for a while even if the power goes out; respect your neighbors' privacy and the complex's rules.

DON'T LOCK YOURSELF IN A TRAP

A “fortified” home that you can't leave in seconds is dangerous: more people die in fires than in break-ins. Rules:

Every bedroom needs two exits: the door and a window that opens. On the ground floor, the window is your emergency exit (see the escape plan in chapter 9).
If you put grilles or bars on bedroom windows, they must open from the inside without a key, tool, or special force (that is what the residential code requires). Never fixed grilles.
No double-cylinder deadbolts (keyed on both sides) on the front door: in a fire you won't find the key. Many codes prohibit them in apartments.
Bars and wedges: take them off when you go to sleep only if they block the exit; everyone in the home must know how to remove them in the dark.
Never put the shelter's mass (water jugs, bookcases) in front of escape doors or windows.

For civil unrest, active shooters, and personal safety away from home, see chapters 9 and 25.